Harry Potter and the Second Order
by UsagiLovesDuochan
Summary: ON HOLD Harry is back at the Dursleys and grieving deeply over the death... When everything becomes too much for him he runs back to where the worst started. Suddenly something happens which no one counted on. WARNING: SLASH later! HPGW, RWHG, SBRL
1. Starting Shot

Well after book five came out, I started my journey in the HP fanfiction world, because I couldn't stand the death. And so I came up on an idea to get Sirius back to us. I am still not convinced that he is really dead anyway. In book three it was also said nearly the whole time that Sirius was a murderer and see, he wasn't, as the end at last showed us. Anyway. I have to admit, the first chapter is pretty much a lot of babbling with the past, just the way like J. K. starts her books, but unfortunately I tend to write a little extensive and do not spare with details. But I promise, after that, the story will become interesting... well at least I hope it will, so have a little patience with me. ^^  
  
Title: Harry Potter and the second Order  
  
Part: 1/? - Starting Shot  
  
Author: Usagi-chan [usagilikesduochan@hotmail.com]  
  
Warnings: SPOILERS for books 1-5!!!, depressing  
  
Pairings: None so far  
  
Archive: -   
  
Anyone want the story? Well I am honored but please ask me first so I can put you to my archive list and know where my stories are landing. ^^  
  
Feedback: Please, yes, I love critics! =^^= But NO FLAMES!  
  
Comment: Well after book five came out I have so many ideas in my head, I HAVE to write. ^^ And I won't accept the believed-to-be-death of a certain person as long as there is no real proof. I mean, come on guys this is Harry Potter, the world of magic. Anything can happen and most things so far were never as they seemed. :)  
  
Anyway, Harry is back at the Dursleys and thanks to Voldemort he is still grieving deeply over the death of Sirius. When everything becomes too much for him to bear he runs away and back to the place where the worst started. Suddenly something happens which no one counted on.  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, but all to J. K. Rowling. I don't make any money with it and write only for fun and to release the many ideas she gave me.  
  
And not to forget, much thanks to Deb for betareading.  
  
"..." = Speaking  
  
/.../ = Thoughts  
  
#flashback#  
  
JUST TO BE SURE, THE WARNING AGAIN: THIS STORY CONTAINS SLASH AND A LOT OF SPOILERS FOR ALL FIVE BOOKS! SO IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED WITH BOOK FIVE AND DON'T WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING, DON'T READ!!!!  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
Starting shot  
  
#Harry saw Sirius duck Bellatrix's jet of red light he was laughing at her.  
  
"Come on, you can do better than that!" he yelled, his voice echoing around the cavernous room. The second jet of light hit him squarely in the chest. The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock.  
  
Harry released Neville, though he was unaware of doing so. He was jumping down the steps again, pulling out his wand as Dumbledore too turned towards the dais.  
  
It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall his body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backwards through the ragged veil hanging from the arch.  
  
Harry saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on his godfather's wasted, once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind, then fell back into place.  
  
Harry heard Bellatrix Lestranges triumphant scream but knew it meant nothing - Sirius had only just fallen through the archway, he would reappear from the other side any second ...  
  
But Sirius did not reappear.  
  
"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled. "SIRIUS!"#  
  
For a moment the world seemed to stop. Then suddenly more pictures invaded Harry's already more than desperate mind.  
  
Remus Lupin, the old friend of his father and godfather caught Harry at his wrist to prevent him from reaching the veil. But instead of the usual calm voice, the words he spoke to the teenage boy were harsh and outraged.  
  
"This is your fault!" Lupin said and when the boy tore his eyes away from the veil in surprise to look at his former Professor, he found hate and anger in the brown-orange pools.  
  
"W-what?" Harry stuttered, not believing what he just heard. The eyes of the older man narrowed to slits.  
  
"You heard me POTTER!" he hissed. "Sirius' death is your damn fault all along!"  
  
"He went to help you, you fool! Just because you ran into this trap like an idiot I have lost my only decent cousin," another voice, this time a female yelled furiously at Harry. He turned around to look at the place where Nymphadora Tonks should have been lying on the ground unconscious.  
  
But she wasn't. She stood there on the ground, looking like nothing had happened to her and her finger pointed directly at the helpless boy who was still held by Lupin.  
  
"Your fault, Harry Potter!" the man and the woman both yelled in unison. "Your damn fault!"  
  
Harry whimpered. He barely recognized the still triumphant laughter of Bellatrix Lestrange sounding in the background. And nobody cared about the woman who had caused the curse which had sent his beloved godfather behind this damned veil. No, instead all eyes from every member of the Order were on him now.  
  
"Why didn't you obey my words Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore asked him; grief and anger obvious in his voice. "Mr. Black wouldn't have died if you had done what I told you to and if you hadn't come in here."  
  
"No..." whispered Harry slowly, finally able to gather some words together. "It wasn't me. Sirius isn't gone, he can't..."  
  
"He is!" Tonks yelled. "Because he protected you he is gone!"  
  
"Nobody comes back from beyond the veil," Lupin added. The pressure at his wrist became much more painful now. And so too the pain in his scar. But Harry didn't really care. All he did was shake his head furiously.  
  
"No, he isn't dead and it wasn't my fault! It's Voldemort's! And hers!"  
  
He pointed at the laughing Bellatrix but the people still looked furiously at him. They called him a liar, traitor, and worse. And through all the yells Harry heard this terrible steadily growing sound. The sound of a very high and cold laughter. A laughter he heard way too often for his liking, whether in reality or in his dreams.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"  
  
And while a peaceful silence lay over Privet Drive, a just shy of sixteen years boy jerked up in his bed, suddenly waking from the nightmare he'd had.  
  
Harry Potter was shaking badly, while he tried to convince himself that he was finally awake. His scar was hurting terribly and the merciless, cold laughter still rang in his ears. He only barely noticed that not only was his head hurting, but also his throat.  
  
"Must have screamed pretty loud," he croaked in a hoarse whisper, just to test how bad his throat was. It felt hot, dry and every word stung lightly. He let out a little sigh.  
  
"Great. A little more worse than yesterday," Harry muttered. "Well I should be happy that Hedwig wasn't here this time."  
  
His eyes moved to focus on the vague shadows of the empty cage which stood on his writing table. This was the place his snow owl Hedwig normally resided in. But she was out, gone to deliver a letter to his friends. He let her do this job on purpose after she had nearly flipped the second night in which he had woken the house with his screams of agony.  
  
After Harry made sure he had recovered a little from the aftermath of the nightmare, he took the glasses he used to wear from his night-table and put them on his nose. Then he rose to put the night-lamp on and take a glance into the mirror.  
  
It was not a happy view which greeted him. Staring back at him was a tall but skinny boy with short, untamed, black hair, green eyes and marble white skin. Black rings right under his eyes bore witness to the lack of sleep within the last days. On his forehead hidden as much as possible was a little scar in the form of a lightning bolt, the only visible sign of the blessing and curse he suffered through.  
  
Harry gave another defeated sigh and moved to sit down in front of the writing table. He looked out of the window, a miserable expression written all over his face.  
  
This was not the first nightmare he'd had. To be exact, he'd suffered this nightmare ever since he'd been back at Privet Drive. It was the middle of July and he had summer holidays. A time that Harry, contrary to other boys in his age, hated the most.  
  
But Harry Potter was no ordinary boy and that was one of the reasons why he was to his last living relatives as welcome as scratches on a newly bought car. But for his own safety he had to live here with his Uncle, Aunt and Cousin.  
  
Unfortunately they hated and feared his so called 'abnormality' which had made his stay with them as far from pleasant as was possible for as long as he could remember.  
  
Harry Potter was a wizard and not even an ordinary one. It happened that nearly 15 years ago he caused the downfall of Voldemort, the most evil wizard existing. Before that happened everyone lived in fear during those times. The only hope back then lay on Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts Wizard School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, the school Harry attended right now. Dumbledore, people said, was the only one the dark wizard had ever feared.  
  
This had been until a prophecy was foretold, shortly before Harry was born. This prophecy told of the birth of the person who would be able to break the power of the dark wizard. Shortly after, Harry Potter had been born under the predicted circumstances and immediately became a target of the dark side. Still, his parents had been able to protect him from Voldemort for quite a while.  
  
That was, until the Halloween after Harry's first birthday. On that day a friend of Lily and James Potter betrayed them and told Voldemort their hiding place. He showed up and killed first Harry's father, then his mother, who sacrificed her life to save her child.  
  
But when Voldemort tried to get rid of the supposed powerful enemy, the death-curse backfired and hit him instead of the little baby. The Dark Lord vanished, and with him the dark times.  
  
Since then, Harry Potter had been the hero of the wizarding world, marked with the scar, where the killing curse hit and backfired. He himself hadn't known of this until his eleventh birthday when he got his invitation to Hogwarts.  
  
To start a term at Hogwarts, had been for him, as a dream come true. Harry, for the first time in his life, was really, really happy. He made two very good friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. He was also befriended by Hagrid, the Gamekeeper of the school.  
  
But unfortunately, since his arrival back in the wizarding world, Lord Voldemort seemed determined to have his comeback after ten quiet years of absence. At the end of his first year, Harry, with the help of Albus Dumbledore and his two best friends, was able to prevent a return of the dark forces.  
  
The same happened in his second year, when he got involved in the rumors and horrible events about the chamber of secrets. In his third year Harry was able to free his godfather from his destiny to be punished for betrayal and some murders he never committed. Unfortunately the real culprit was able to escape before they could show him to anyone and nobody believed Harry, Ron and Hermione that Sirius Black was innocent.  
  
Still you could say that the wizarding world was in a sort of peaceful state. But this ended at the conclusion of Harry's fourth year, there he had to watch Voldemort's comeback from the front line. He barely made it back with nothing more than a few scratches, while another student from Hogwarts had died right in front of his eyes.  
  
Now when he looked back on it Harry had to admit that after that, the worst year of his life had begun. Voldemort was back and thirsty to kill him. But Cornelius Fudge, the minister of magic didn't believe Harry's words and started a private war against The-Boy-Who-Lived and Albus Dumbledore himself, who did what he could to rebuild the old army against the dark wizard.  
  
In Harry's fifth year, the ministry did what they could to make life, for the people who believed him, a living hell. Harry and his friends had to fight against a mad Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher, Dumbledore was forced to run from the ministry and leave his post as headmaster of Hogwarts.  
  
Harry struggled against intrigue, hate, mistrust, first love, frustration and nightmares. But the worst of it all was that at the end of the year he'd had another encounter with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. In this one Sirius, his godfather, the best friend of his father, the man he had learn to love like a father in the two years he'd known him - had died while fighting against his cousin, who was a Death Eater herself.  
  
After this fifth encounter with Voldemort, Dumbledore finally told Harry everything, the reason why the Dark Lord wanted to kill him when he was only a child, why the headmaster hadn't look straight at him for a whole school year, about the prophecy made before his birth and about his fate - to kill or be killed by Voldemort.  
  
Harry thought a lot about his destiny when he was still at school. Nobody else besides Dumbledore knew about it. He hadn't even had the heart to tell his friends. But since he was back at Privet Drive none of this seemed to matter very much right now. The only thing he thought about day and night was Sirius, his godfather. At school he still had some distraction from the lingering shock and pain of the loss, thanks to his friends and especially Luna, a friend of Ginny's who also had tried to help during the encounter in the ministry of magic and helped in her own strange way to make him feel a little better over the loss.  
  
But here at the Dursley's, a place without people who loved and cared about him, a place where he wasn't distracted by students, friends and teachers, he couldn't think of anything else; even if he tried to. Voldemort made very sure about that. Harry knew it was him who sent him the dreams he'd had since the first night he was back at Privet Drive. The laughter and his burning scar told him so since the first one. Harry's grief was so enormous that he couldn't bring himself to use what he had learned so far in the Occulmency lessons he'd once had to prevent the Dark Lord from penetrating his mind.  
  
And so it came to pass that he woke up every night with a scream, which was loud enough to wake up the whole street. Of course this should have annoyed the Dursley's very much - if they could hear it. But Harry knew there was no reason to worry. Not since some days ago. Nobody but the people who lived in his chamber would be able to hear him. And because Hedwig was away, this simply meant there was nobody but him there. Remus Lupin had made sure of it.  
  
#It had happened after the third night he'd woken up the whole house with his screams. His Uncle, a fat man with a thick neck and an enormous mustache, had finally lost his temper and the only reason that held him back from ripping his nephew into pieces was the threat of an unpleasant visit from some of the members of the Order if Harry wasn't treated nicely.  
  
So Vernon only yelled at Harry and promised him nothing to eat for the next few days if he didn't find a solution for the nightmares. With heavy heart he wrote to Remus Lupin that night telling him of his problems in the form of the nightmares he had. He never mentioned what they were about, only that he made so much noise that his relatives woke up and he was left feeling disturbed.  
  
Lupin acted immediately. He came around during lunch time and cast a silencing charm around the walls in Harry's room. Much to Harry's disappointment his former teacher did not stay long. They had only a little chat and that one was only about stuff which didn't include Voldemort or Sirius. Harry knew that the first thing wasn't safe to be talked about here, and the second thing was something none of them wanted to think about for the moment.  
  
Harry had been very surprised when he met Lupin that day. Not because he showed off, but because of the way he looked. Harry could have sworn he was looking into a mirror. His former teacher had equally dark rings under his eyes and the same grief shone in his face that Harry knew was reflected in his own. Dull brown eyes without a real life in them. Harry had the nasty feeling this wasn't because of Voldemort and the work he had to do for the Order.  
  
He assumed it was more because of the same reason he himself had forgotten what laughing and happiness was. They both seemed to share a big loss, but he never mentioned anything to the best friend of his godfather. He still wasn't able to really talk about the events and Sirius and he had the nasty little feeling that Lupin felt the same way. Only one thing in that direction did he ask, just before Lupin wanted to leave again.  
  
They both stood at the doorstep, Harry's former teacher ready to leave.  
  
"Professor?" Harry asked warily  
  
"Yes, Harry?" Lupin's voice was hoarser and calmer than he remembered.  
  
"Can you... I mean, would it be OK with you if I write to you when something bothers me? Just like I did to... well before... you know." Harry lost his words and looked at the ground. "I mean, I don't want to bother you, really. It's just, I don't know who else... and you are a friend of my father and... you always seemed to understand me very well just like... well..."  
  
Harry looked up, unsure of what to expect. But Lupin gave him his first real smile. It was light, only barely visible, but it was there.  
  
"Well Harry, first I don't mind," he answered, his tone friendly. "But only on one condition."  
  
"Which is?" he asked warily.  
  
"Call me Remus, please," Lupin answered softly. "Under other circumstances we may have had an Uncle-nephew relationship and I am not your teacher anymore, remember? So, I would much appreciate it if you don't call me what I am not."  
  
Harry looked straight into the eyes of the werewolf and considered the request. After a moment he gave a smile, which was as thin as Lupin's had been.  
  
"Sure, Remus," he agreed. And in the sudden moment of emotion Harry strode forward and hugged the other man for a second.  
  
"Bye, till next time then," he said and went back to the door.  
  
"Until we meet again, Harry," Lupin replied quietly. "And I think I can say to you that it won't be so far away. At least no longer than last time."  
  
Harry nodded and watched the man leaving. Lupin walked along the road and then with the blink of an eye, he was gone.#  
  
And here he sat now for another night, wide awake, throbbing pain and all alone in his deep grief. Harry was very sure if he didn't act soon Voldemort would succeed in what he was trying to do. He would become insane, like the Daily Prophet had described him to be since the middle of his fourth year in Hogwarts.  
  
/At least the Daily Prophet's insinuations would finally come true with the insane thing, should Voldemort succeed/, he thought with dark sarcasm. But he couldn't let this happen. Not only for the sake of his own health, but for the rest of the wizarding world.  
  
In this one week since he'd been home, he had come to one important conclusion. If Voldemort was able to cause Harry's downfall it would be the fall of the whole wizarding world, the world in where friends of his still lived. Friends like Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, Remus, Tonks, Moody, Neville, Ginny, Luna and his mentor Dumbledore. The closest thing to a family he had and he cared for them deeply, like the Weasley's. And the world where Hogwarts belonged, the only place in the world he was ever able to call a real home.  
  
No, he really didn't want the students there to live the rest of their lives in fear, for their families to break apart like his own had. He didn't want any other people to feel the pain like Neville had to because his parents had gone insane and didn't recognize him anymore thanks to the Death Eaters.  
  
But although deep in his heart he had already made his decision, the grief over Sirius was still so overwhelming that he wasn't able to think about these problems right away. And Voldemort as well really made sure that he wouldn't be able to concentrate on the present, but hang stuck in the past.  
  
With a deep sigh the boy took a last look outside his window. It was still dark and a quick glance at the clock told him that it was nearly three o'clock in the morning. He felt tired and dizzy and his body screamed for sleep. Maybe he should go back to sleep. It was worth a try. After all, his situation couldn't become any worse than it already was and he knew from experience that Voldemort was most of the time satisfied enough when he had plagued him once per night; he was after all busy with his full comeback and hadn't that much time to waste it with a mere boy.  
  
/After all he still thinks of me not as a full threat./ Harry reminded himself darkly. /Too dumb you don't know what the full prophecy meant or you would think otherwise, Voldemort. Although you may torture me at the moment hard with my grief, the time will come when I am back at Hogwarts, when I will work to cause your downfall. I will work hard, you can count on that because there is one thing you make damn clear to me; night for night. I NEVER want to see someone going away from me again like Sirius had to!/  
  
He grimly turned off the light, laid back onto his bed and put the glasses on his nightstand. As soon as his head reached the pillow his exhausted body fell back into a tense sleep, but fortunately without anymore nightmares.  
  
Still, when he woke up the next morning he felt ten time worse than he had in the night. Yet in daylight, more awake than he had been in the night and without the throbbing pain in his skull, the pictures of Sirius vanishing behind the veil showed up clearer than in the night.  
  
Harry wished nothing more than to go back to sleep for the rest of the day and not to see and feel anything anymore. But he knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep again and to lay awake and let the thoughts pass through his mind for the whole day wasn't the best idea either. He had make this effort on his very first day back and it wasn't a good one.  
  
With a heavy heart he stumbled into the bathroom to take a quick cold shower and fully awaken his body functions. It was already after eleven AM and the blue, cloudless sky told him that it was hot outside. In every other youth's eye with holidays, a perfect promising day but Harry hardly gave a second glance to the world outside.  
  
After he was finished with his shower and had put on some suitable clothes (what you can call suitable when you have to wear second hand clothes which were way too big for you) Harry went down into the living room to find his relatives sitting on the couch, watching TV.  
  
Vernon Dursley and his son Dudley, who was still far away from becoming a well built boy, but too Harry's astonishment had managed to not gain any more weight after he had lost some during his diet two years ago, were stoically ignoring his presence. But his Aunt Petunia, sister of his mother, a thin woman with a horselike neck, shot him a quick glance. Her face was a mixture of wariness and fear and she soon enough looked away again.  
  
"I left you some breakfast in the kitchen," she said and her tense body told him that it hadn't been a pleasure to leave something to eat for him, but thanks to Mad-Eye Moody the only thing the Dursley's dared to do was give him some sour looks here and there. Since he'd come back to Privet Drive he'd never had to do a thing as he had the years before. No cooking or taking care of the garden. He didn't have to flee outside so that his Aunt and Uncle could come up with some work for him to do or to hide somewhere in the garden to hear by chance at least a little from the muggle news. And this was a good thing, because Harry wasn't so sure if he was even allowed to go outside anymore.  
  
The last time he had been, it had ended in a real disaster. Dementores had attacked him and his cousin in the middle of the street (on order of Professor Umbridge, his DADA teacher for the fifth year, as he and his friends had discovered later) and he had been forced to use magic to get rid of them. Unfortunately he was still an underage wizard which meant no magic for him during holidays.  
  
It had been only thanks to Dumbledore that he hadn't been immediately thrown out of school but invited to a hearing in the ministry of magic, where he was able to prove that it had been self defense with the testimony of Mrs. Figg, who had been lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and had seen everything.  
  
Mrs. Figg was a neighbor of the Dursley's. They had often sent him to her during Dudley's birthday parties or when they wanted to go out. All these years and even after he learned about being a wizard, he'd thought that Mrs. Figg was just an old, batty, lady with a great love for cats. But last year, to his surprise, she turned out to know a lot about the magic world. In fact, old Mrs. Figg was a Squib (child from a wizard family who has not any magic abilities themselves). She had been ordered to keep an eye on him from when he was brought to the Dursley's when he was only one year old.  
  
To not make the Dursley's suspect anything, she was forced to make Harry's stay at her home not the most pleasant one in the world. As she had explained to him that eventful night, his relatives wouldn't allow her to take care of him again if he had liked it at her place and Harry knew very well that the Dursley's hated him to be happy.  
  
They still had no idea that their neighbor was more involved in the magic world than they would ever have dreamed of and this was better left the way it was. And although he was sure Mrs. Figg could answer his question, if going outside was allowed for him, he didn't bother to ask, since he never felt the desire to go out anyway.  
  
Harry went into the kitchen to find a portion of already cold fried egg and toast standing on the kitchen-table. He wasn't really hungry, he hadn't been for weeks now, but he took a few bites anyway, quietly recalling that he had to retain a little strength if he wanted to fulfil the prophecy to the better outcome.  
  
After the boy finished eating he put the things away and cleaned his plate, then he went back into the living room to join the family in front of the TV. It was a Sunday and although Dudley would have liked to go out with his friends, he wasn't allowed to. Aunt Petunia in fact had forbidden both boys to go out on weekends and only during the week as long as it wasn't dark.  
  
Since the events with the Dementors and Harry having told them about Voldemort being back, Petunia out of all of his relatives had made the biggest change in her behavior. As much as she hated the magic world, thanks to her sister did she had a pretty good idea of the consequences of Voldemort being back.  
  
First, when Harry came back, she cooled down over the year, because nothing had happened so far. But Harry had decided it wasn't a good idea to hide this kind of information from his relatives again; especially not after the outburst his Uncle had had the year before. So he had told the whole family in short words, that Voldemort had hidden himself for the year because the ministry didn't believe the rumors of him being back. (he didn't waste a word about the fact that it was Dumbledore's and his own words they didn't believe) But now, after Voldemort had been seen by Fudge and other members of the ministry personally, there was no longer anything to hide. The real terror, the war would start now.  
  
As soon as Petunia had learned about this, she implemented the ban for Dudley to go out to his usual teaparties with his friends. But Harry knew very well that in reality with the ban she may have saved some innocent little kids from being beaten up by her precious son, who still had nothing better to do outside than to cause trouble and pain to weaker kids. But Aunt and Uncle were simply too thick headed to comprehend that their beloved Diddykins wasn't the "little innocent angel" they wanted him to be.  
  
On the other side, compared to Voldemort and his Death Eaters, Dudley may truly have been an angel thought Harry with dry humor. He immediately shook his head to get rid of his dark thoughts. He had enough unwilling meetings with the Dark Lord in his mind at night, he really didn't need to think about him during daylight, there were other things to worry about.  
  
But still, Voldemort was one of the reasons why he sat in front of the TV with his relatives right now. If something happened, there was still a big chance that it was in the muggle TV's as well as in the newspapers or the Daily Prophet. (the newspaper of the magic world). And since anything could happen at anytime and the Daily Prophet only came once per day, and that was each early morning, he preferred to follow the regular news on TV as well as reading the Daily Prophet.  
  
So far, nothing had happened and Dudley had already got some of his confidence back which he had lost at the beginning of his holidays. The fact that he was afraid of the things Harry had told them was the only reason why he had behaved and taken the ban from his mother seriously. Though Harry had caught his cousin in the last few days loudly considering breaking the rules at last. But it had only been a week since holidays, so this didn't mean much.  
  
Harry had just seated himself on a chair as far away from the Dursley's as possible when the 12 o'clock news started. Through the TV screen it was very clear to see that the newscaster wasn't his usual calm self.  
  
"Just half an hour ago we were informed about the strange explosion on a Family Estate right on the outskirts of London City. Eye witnesses told of a shocking scene. The house is half destroyed and all members of the family were found dead. Surveyor's speak of unexplained facts. While it is mused that the destruction may have been caused by a gas explosion, most of the corpses of members of the family were found in the untouched part of the house and were not harmed by the explosion. The doctors on the scene have said that so far they can't find any evidence of what may have caused their deaths. Also unexplained is the fact that the faces of the deceased show a look of pure horror. The biggest mystery though lies in the funny sign which is still visible over the destroyed house."  
  
A new scene showed up. The skyview of the still smoking half ruin from the Family Estate, clearly visible through the gray smoke was a greenish, glittering cloud in the form of a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth. Petunia shrieked and Vernon paled visibly. Dudley did nothing but stare open mouthed at the picture of the destroyed building. Then the scene changed again to a reporter who appeared to be at the place of the crime. The smoking house was still visible in the background as well as a lot of policemen and people from the fire brigade.  
  
"Thank you Frank," the reporter continued now. "As you can see, there is this strange green cloud hovering right above the destroyed house. Experts are at a loss. Nobody can explain the mystery of this effigy. But there are some rumors about similarities with incidents happening at a time over 15 years ago. As some people may remember there were a lot of mysterious horrors happening for a long time. And always there was this green cloud in this abnormal form visible just above the place of crime or accident."  
  
At this point Harry couldn't help but snort quietly. As if the Dark Mark (as the sign of the green smoke was called) would ever be on a place of an 'accident'. Death Eaters never caused accidents, they did crime on purpose.  
  
"Fortunately these mysterious happenings stopped 15 years ago and with them vanished the mysterious sign," the reporter continued. "To see it back now seems to cause great anxiety, but the police ask the common people to not overreact, after all this could simply be a horrible, unlucky, but still 'harmless', accident without any meaning. It's way too early to say that the mysterious horror is back after all these years. So far there are no more statements, so back to the studios."  
  
The newscaster thanked the reporter and seemed to take a deep breath before he was able to continue with the political news. But Harry didn't listen to him anymore. Eyes fixed on the screen, without seeing anything at all, his inner eyes still showed him the Dark Mark hovering over the destroyed house. Slowly he asked himself if the victims had been a wizard family, maybe halfbloods. But through all the questions, one thing called out very clear in his mind.  
  
It had started! 


	2. Beyond The Worst

Title: Harry Potter and the Second Order  
  
Part: 2/? - Beyond The Worst  
  
Author: Usagi-chan [usagilikesduochan@hotmail.com]  
  
Warnings: SPOILER for book 1-5!!!, depressing  
  
Pairings: Sirius/Remus, Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione  
  
Archive: -   
  
Anyone want the story? Well I am honored then but please ask me first so I can put you to my archive list and so that I can see where my stories are landing. ^^  
  
Feedback: Please, yes, I love critics! =^^= But NO FLAMES!  
  
Comment: Well after book five came out I have so many ideas in my head, I HAVE to write. ^^ And I won't accept the believed-to-be-death of a certain person as long as there is no real proof. I mean, come on guys this is Harry Potter, the world of magic. Anything can happen and most things so far were never as they seemed. :)  
  
Anyway, Harry is back at the Dursley's and thanks to Voldemort he is still grieving deeply over the death of Sirius. When everything becomes too much for him to bear he runs away and back to the place where the worst started. And suddenly something happens which no one counted on.  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, but all to J. K. Rowling. I don't make any money with it and write only for fun and to release the many ideas she gave me.  
  
And not to forget, much thanks to Deb for betareading.  
  
"..." = Speaking  
  
/.../ = Thoughts  
  
#flashback#  
  
JUST TO BE SURE, THE WARNING AGAIN: THIS STORY CONTAINS SLASH AND A LOT OF SPOILERS FOR ALL FIVE BOOKS! SO IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED WITH BOOK FIVE AND DON'T WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING, DON'T READ!!!!  
  
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Beyond the Worst  
  
Right after the news ended Vernon Dursley turned the TV off and his little pig-eyes faced Harry, who was still staring at the now black screen.  
  
"So," he addressed the boy, his mustache was shaking with every word, "This, this... what happened there, that was your fault, wasn't it?"  
  
It took quite some time for the words to sink into Harry's now throbbing head. Only slowly did he register that everyone in the room was looking at him and even more slowly did he turn his head to face his Uncle on the couch.  
  
"Do I look like I walk around and burn houses for fun?" Harry asked in a light annoyed voice. Vernon had already opened his mouth to, what Harry was very sure, would have been a 'yes' but thought otherwise in the last second and closed it.  
  
"But if you mean to ask if this has been the crime of Voldemort, then yes it obviously is," the teenage boy continued in a hollow tone. "Seems it has started now."  
  
"So, this,... this Voldething walks around blasting houses away and killing people?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And, and he is after you?"  
  
"Yes, evidently."  
  
"Then why do we keep this damn boy?" Uncle Vernon now furious turned around to face his wife. Aunt Petunia lost more color than she already had and began to shake, not meeting the gaze of her husband.  
  
"Last year you also declared we have to keep him and you said so for this year too."  
  
Harry's eyes widened when he heard this. His Uncle wanted to get rid of him again and his Aunt had been against it? Did she get another Howler from Dumbledore? Or did she still remember the one from last year? His thoughts were disturbed by his Uncle as he continued with his little rant, his voice a mix of suppressed anger and fear.  
  
"This all seems to be so simple. If we get rid of the boy, we get rid of the danger of becoming victims to this Voldelord. I don't care if this troupe of his comes over here and... and... try to hex us if the alternative is to get killed!"  
  
He was interrupted by his nephew who suddenly gave a dry chuckle, which ended in hollow, gloomy laughter.  
  
"WHAT?!" bellow Vernon, now completely losing his temper. "WHAT ON EARTH IS SO FUNNY, BOY?"  
  
"You are so wrong," Harry explained to his Uncle in a slow, quite voice. "As long as I am in this house Lord Voldemort won't be able to find me. This means he would also not be able to find you. I am not certain how this kind of magic works that they put onto this house, but, I am nearly certain, if I have to leave this house, Voldemort would be able to come over and play, if he feels like it. So, ironically, me being here means we are safe."  
  
He made a quick face while his relatives watched him, speechless for a moment. Aunt Petunia's eyes were huge and her face white and she seemed to have forgotten how to move. Her son didn't look any better, only his mouth opened and closed wordlessly, like a fish. Uncle Vernon's normally purple face had lost all color and his pig-like eyes were unusually wide with fear, fear beyond the one the whole family normally felt for Harry because of his magic ability.  
  
"What do you mean with 'you being here means we are safe'?" his Uncle finally croaked out. "I thought this Lord was... is so powerful that your whole world fears him? This means whatever... these, these things do, they won't be powerful enough to hold him back, will they? And you are the obvious threat. If you are out, we are safe, we don't have to have to do anything with your kind. Actually we never wanted to in first place, as you full well know."  
  
Again Harry let out one of his unnatural hollow laughs. His head was killing him right now.  
  
Just like it was last year when we had this discussion, he thought bitterly, but forced himself to calm down before speaking again.  
  
"Listen carefully because I am not in the mood to continue this discussion much longer," he snapped. "Fact is, Lord Voldemort isn't out to get every wizard and witch in our world. After me, he is only interested in the people who support Albus Dumbledore in his war against him, the witches and wizards who are born by a muggle family, like my mother and to muggles themselves. Voldemort HATES muggles. His father was one himself and when I recall it now, it seems he was a lot like you, hating everything with magic. He abandoned his wife and his child when he found out she was a witch. Voldemort never forgave him for that. Right after school he killed his own father you know. And he has been hating muggles for as long as he can think. So to say you are safer without me is the worst joke I've heard in a long time. If you would excuse me now, I have a headache and want to go to my chamber. Good day!"  
  
With these words, he whirled around and left the living room and three very stunned Dursley's behind.  
  
Harry needed a while to calm down from his anger. But soon as he felt the worst gone, he ran to his desk, grabbed for his quill and some blank parchment and started to write letters to his friends Ron and Hermione.  
  
Hope you are safe. Did you hear about it? Seems the war really has started. We should prepare for the worst it seems. The muggles here were so shocked when they saw it in the news that Uncle Vernon again wanted me to leave the house in concern for their safety. But I think I have convinced him to let me stay, so no one has to come and check so far. If anything happens, I will tell you immediately.  
  
Please take care of yourselves!  
  
Harry  
  
After he had done the two similar letters and addressed them to his two friends, he grabbed another parchment and started a third letter. In the first second he wanted to start with addressing it to his godfather, before he, with a pang, reminded himself to the so deeply hurting fact that his godfather wasn't there for him anymore. What he wanted to write was for Remus Lupin, the last best friend from his parents that he knew.  
  
Dear Remus,  
  
Well it feels funny to address you in this way. I think I can still not get rid of the image from third year with you being my teacher. Somehow I am really sorry that we hadn't meet before school but, I shouldn't sulk in the past, should I? How are you? I hope you are well and safe. Of course I am not asking you about your whereabouts. I know the time is not safe for this and I am sure you have already heard about what happened near London. The muggles here saw it on TV as well, unfortunately. I am very surprised at the behavior of my relatives in this instance. Normally they are just grumpy and of course a little afraid of my magic abilities, but this time, it's more fear than anything else. I think my Aunt knows more than I ever expected her to. I already got this feeling last year when the event with the Dementors happened. Anyway, my Uncle was suggesting they throw me out of the house but, I think I could persuade them not to. So no need for you to come over and check so far. If anything else happens or my Uncle changes his mind again I will write you immediately. Do you think, I can go to old Lady (I think you know who I mean) if you people don't make it in time? So far nothing special has happened at home itself. I don't go out and my Aunt forbid me and Dudley to do so on weekends and after dark during the weeks anyway. She is really afraid since I told them that Voldemort will start to work in the open now again. Maybe, can you tell me how much she knows about this problem at all and from who? I would be happy to have something else I can think of besides... yeah well you know what I mean. And I am sorry that I now mentioned it after all, I didn't mean to. To go back to the point, it would be nice if you write me back in the future and... maybe you can give me some hints about what you are doing. I understand of course if you can't reveal anything. Times are not safe at the moment.  
  
At this moment the voice of his Aunt Petunia called him for dinner. Harry let out a little sigh and took a look at the clock. It was already past one pm. He didn't look forward to having to face the Dursley's again so soon, but on the other hand it seemed he needed food after all. His stomach was hurting badly because of the lack of food he had had in the last few days. He hurriedly scribbled some last sentences.  
  
Well my Aunt just called me for dinner so I need to finish now. Take care and hopefully we can meet again before school term starts.  
  
Best wishes  
  
Harry  
  
He addressed the letter to his former teacher and called Hedwig, who had watched him from her cage all the time since he started writing the letters. She had come back from her last trip around midday with two letters from his friends when he had watched the news, but so far the letter hadn't said anything about the last events, that was why he had written about them in his own letters to them now.  
  
"Would you be so kind and deliver these three to Ron, Hermione and Remus Lupin, Hedwig?" he asked his snowy owl quietly. "Of course, if you are tired, you can rest a little more and fly out as soon as you are fit again."  
  
Hedwig simply held out her leg and let him fasten the letters. When he was done she hopped onto his shoulder and nibbled lovingly on his earlobe for a while. Of course his only friend in the house had already noticed how tired, sad and worn out he was right now. Harry, sensing her well-meant gesture stroked the soft feathers and gave his first smile since he'd been back.  
  
"I am all right Hedwig, well I will be, I promise," he told her. "All I need is a little more time to accept some things you know."  
  
She hooted quietly as if she wanted to say that she understood. Then she spread out her wings and set off out of the window into the clear blue sky. Harry watched her go until she was only a point on the horizon.  
  
"Be safe, Hedwig," he whispered and took off to dinner.  
  
Dinner was very quiet, a unusual thing for the Dursley's. Normally they all would ignore Harry and sit watching Dudley's TV. Or Uncle Vernon would talk about Grunnings. But not so this time. Everyone simply sat in his place and ate. The only thing which was as normal as ever was that they tried to ignore Harry as best they could.  
  
Harry himself didn't eat very much. Although his stomach had hurt because of hunger just before this was quickly gone after the first few bites when his thoughts unwillingly were brought back to his godfather.  
  
He finally gave up on eating any more and pushed away the still half full plate to run back to his room. The rest of the day he spent grieving again over the loss and tried to convince himself that it hadn't been his fault. Especially after Voldemort sent him these nightmares did he try to use them as proof that it hadn't been his fault after all. Nothing Voldemort tried to say was right.  
  
While Harry was staring outside his window without seeing anything at all, a sudden idea came into his head. Maybe what he needed, really needed, was a chance to say goodbye. Like when people went to the grave of their beloved and put some roses on it. Except for the nightmares, maybe this was exactly what he needed.  
  
But the whole idea held one very big problem. There was no grave for Sirius. There had been no corpse after all because it had vanished behind the veil. This meant the only place to perform such a ritual was at the ministry of magic. Harry would have to go to the ministry and to the veil if he wanted to say goodbye in such a personal way.  
  
For a long time Harry spend his time not thinking about past, but to form a plan on how to get to the ministry and the room with the veil. He would need his Invisible Cloak, the only thing he could use without being punished. Maybe his Firebold would be helpful as well for the journey, but he suddenly remembered Moody saying that using an Invisibly Cloak on a broom wasn't safe enough because of the wind.  
  
It was also clear that Harry would have to go to the ministry at night, when nobody was there. He didn't want to run into a bunch of witches and wizards who would do nothing more than to stare at his scar. And if he had very bad luck he would meet a Death Eater. After all he wasn't supposed to be out, was he?  
  
He thought a little while longer. Supper time had arrived when at last a fully grown plan was ready in his head. What he needed was: his Invisible Cloak, his wand (just in case), a normal cloak where he could hide his face easily under, some muggle money for buses and - Vernon Dursley!  
  
Dinner with the Dursley's was taken in an uncomfortable silence. Harry wasn't in the mood for saying anything and his relatives were too afraid to complain about anything after his outburst at the end of the news. Only when Aunt Petunia served the dessert did Harry lay his eyes on his Uncle.  
  
"Uncle Vernon?"  
  
It came so suddenly, that Vernon nearly choked on his first bite of dessert.  
  
"What?" he snapped, after he had drunk a little water.  
  
"I need to go to London tomorrow," Harry said calmly.  
  
"Is that so?" grunted his Uncle. "Well, do what you want boy. I don't hold you back."  
  
Harry made a short grimace before he explained.  
  
"Well, you have to drive me."  
  
This time Uncle Vernon *did* choke on his dessert. His face became purple when he focused his furious eyes on his nephew. Harry continued quickly before his Uncle could say a word.  
  
"I can't drive a car as you may realize and it's a little far to go by foot, isn't it?"  
  
He made a little pause before he added slyly,  
  
"Of course I could ask one of my friends to take me, but they are very busy you know. I think they won't appreciate it very much that they have to break their work just to take *me* to London because my relatives won't."  
  
Uncle Vernon's face had gone from purple to chalk white.  
  
"I... I have to work as well if you remember, you stupid boy," he growled. Harry gave him a fake smile.  
  
"Don't worry about that Uncle. You can take me there before work. You don't have to pick me up again because I am not sure how long I will stay anyway. Just leave me a little bit of money for my return journey. I can go by train in that case. Oh and I think I will stay one last night in the 'Leaky Cauldron', so I definitely won't be back before tomorrow, I think."  
  
This whole discussion was tiring in Harry's eyes. Under normal circumstances he would have simply taken the Knight Bus and not bothered with asking his Uncle to take him to London and come back by muggle train, but he couldn't risk being recognized and the people of the Knight Bus would do so, since he had taken the bus before.  
  
For a moment there was silence before Uncle Vernon asked shakily.  
  
"What the heck is the 'Leaky Cauldron'?"  
  
"A pub," answered Harry shortly. "It's the place where wi... our kind goes when we have to buy our things."  
  
Uncle Vernon grunted, a sign that he had understood. There was silence again while the Dursley's finished dessert. Harry gave his own untouched dessert to Dudley, who took it without complaint. Harry never ate his dessert just as he never ate much for lunch.  
  
After dinner Harry made his way upstairs again to get at least a little sleep before he would have the nightmare again. It was still early evening and he knew from experience that Voldemort never disturbed him before midnight.  
  
The last thing he heard for the day, just before he stepped into his room, was Uncle Vernon shouting from the kitchen.  
  
"If you want me to take you to London boy, make sure you are ready at 6 am!"  
  
If Uncle Vernon hoped that Harry wouldn't wake up in time to get ready for their drive, he was mistaken. Harry had been up since three in the morning, after he woke up from his nightmare again. He knew that with the dream and him looking forward to go to the place where it happened, he was way too disturbed to go back to sleep.  
  
After half past five arrived he got dressed, packed a little bag with the belongings he needed and went down to the kitchen for a half hearted breakfast. Uncle Vernon joined Harry at breakfast at six o'clock. He looked tired, bad tempered and refused to look or speak with his nephew. Only when he finished with eating, did he grunt to Harry that it was time to leave.  
  
The journey to London was uneventful. They arrived before seven and Harry was able to remember the way and direct his Uncle to the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
When Harry left the car he wore the dark blue cloak he had taken with him. Now his face was safely hidden deep within the hood. He thanked his Uncle politely for the ride while checking that all he needed was with him. Vernon grunted and gave his nephew, and the dark looking pub, a nasty glare before he closed the car door with a loud bang and drove off.  
  
Harry didn't much care. Shoving the folded Invisibility cloak from his father deeper into his pocket and holding his wand in a strong grip, he anxiously stepped into the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
The first thing Harry noticed when he stepped into the pub was that there were already a lot of people there, although it was still early in the morning. His appearance got a lot of attention. Tom, the barkeeper, as well as some of the wizards and witches gave him nasty, suspicious looks.  
  
Harry suspected that this was because he hid his face from view and the mistrusting behavior was a painful reminder of how afraid people were nowadays. Mistrust for everyone who didn't show himself in the open because sneaking around and hiding was exactly the way Death Eaters acted.  
  
Harry tried not to pay too much attention to the looks they gave him and walked swiftly to the wall at the back of the pub. He tapped the bricks with his wand and went through the entrance into Diagon Alley.  
  
His first stop while there was to the 'Magical Apothecary for slight injury cure potions'. He asked the seller for a big bottle of dreamless sleep potion. The selling wizard was very suspicious of Harry's appearance, but he couldn't argue against the boy's explanation of not sleeping well for weeks now.  
  
After he brought what he needed he asked politely if there was a way via Floo Powder to the official ministry entrance. The still very mistrusting wizard gave him the name of the fireplace only, because going to the ministry wasn't a crime after all.  
  
Now that he was done with the important things, Harry thought of what to do next. He wasn't going to leave for the ministry before evening. Firstly he didn't want to be disturbed and secondly he wasn't supposed to be outside the house and its wards after all, especially with no company to keep him safe. If he were to show up at the ministry in the daytime with all the people there and demanding to take him to the veil while disguised with his cloak, he would end up in Askaban before they realized that he wasn't a Death Eater after all.  
  
Harry wished that he could visit the joke shop of Fred and George, the older twin brothers of his best friend Ron. But he knew it was impossible; the danger of being recognized was too great. He finally decided to eat a little breakfast to gather some strength. He still wasn't exactly hungry, but he knew it wouldn't do him any good not to eat anything the whole day after his humble breakfast early that morning.  
  
After eating he decided to walk aimlessly around for a while. He stopped at 'Quality for Quidditch' to take a look at the newest Nimbus 2003 from the Nimbus series. The 2003 wasn't as good as his Firebold, but still it was a nice broom to look at and definitely better than the Nimbus 2001 which the players from the Slytherin house team at Hogwarts used.  
  
Harry's next stop was at 'Flourish and Bloots' the biggest bookshop in Diagon Alley. He spent the rest of his day looking and reading through different books. Most of them were about the Dark Arts.  
  
But there was one book which caught his eye especially. After reading it for a while, thoughtfully he decided to buy this one. It was a book about Animagi and how to become one.  
  
When Harry left the bookshop again he took a look at his watch, it told him it was 8 pm. Diagon Alley would be open for another two hours. So he decided it was time to buy the very last thing he needed for his journey - Floo Powder.  
  
Harry was able to get a small sack of the greenish powder for the last of his wizarding money, which he had gotten a year ago for the school year. He didn't intend visiting Gringotts during his actual visit, because if he did, he would had been forced to reveal his identity for getting to his money. Fortunately what he had, had been enough for everything.  
  
For the rest of his time he had before leaving, Harry sat near the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron and kept himself busy with reading his new book. The time seemed to fly, suddenly a voice tore him from the words in front of his nose.  
  
"Visitors of the magical streets are asked to start leaving right now," a bodiless voice announced. "The entrance to the Leaky Cauldron will be closed in ten minutes. The connection of the Floo-networks will be cut in 15 minutes as well as the start of activation for the anti-apparating child's. We hope you have had a pleasant stay and that we can welcome you back again. We wish you and your families a safe journey home."  
  
Harry was amused and surprised at the same time. Although he had spent a week at the Leaky Cauldron when he was 13, he had never been in Diagon Alley long enough to witness the closing. And now he noticed that the system wasn't so much different from the closing of the big Muggle shopping centers.  
  
With a deep breath Harry closed his book, put it in his backpack and stood up.  
  
TBC... 


End file.
